Olympian Gwen Berry used the podium to protest. Now she’s being punished.

Athlete activists should not be punished for protesting.     

Gwen Berry preparing to throw the hammer for her track and field sport, hammer throwing.

Tell companies to sponsor Olympian Gwen Berry, who used her platform to protest. 

TAKE ACTION
Dear John,  

Athlete protests like Gwen’s should be not be punished. Demand companies sponsor Olympian Gwen Berry.

Olympian, record holder, and Pan-American gold medalist Gwen Berry, was abandoned by her corporate sponsors after she raised her fist to protest racial injustice on the awards podium at last year’s Pan-American Games. Gwen courageously put her career on the line to fight for justice. But because she used her platform to demand justice for Black people, her sponsors abandoned her.1 

Black athletes putting their careers and lives on the line to demand justice is not new. Much like Eroseanna “Rose” Robinson, John Carlos, and Tommie Smith, and other Black athletes before her, Gwen took a big risk, using her gold-medal moment to send the world a powerful message: “America can do better.”2,3,4 But Gwen’s brave action was punished, leaving her without the financial support that empowers many athletes to continue training in their sport. 

Join us in calling on companies to sponsor Gwen Berry. 

Right now is a revolutionary time for racial justice. And although we’ve always been committed to racial justice, we at Color Of Change are pushing to make a difference in Black people’s lives in ways we never have before. That’s why we committed to financially sponsoring Gwen, and we’re asking companies to step up and sponsor Gwen, too. Because committing to racial justice means doing more than just releasing a Black Lives Matter statement.5

Tell companies like Nike, United Airlines, Hershey’s, and Kellogg’s to step up and sponsor athlete and activist, Gwen Berry.

Until justice is real, 
—Jade, Arisha, Rashad, Johnny, Amanda, Marie, Evan, Imani, Eesha, Gabrielle, Samantha, Jennette, Ciera, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

  1. “I Used the Podium to Protest. The Olympic Committee Punished Me.,” The New York Times, September 7, 2020,  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/267799?t=9&akid=45278%2E4731121%2EHtZs9m
  2. “Sixty Years Ago She Refused to Stand for the Anthem,” Zora/Medium, September 26, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/226239?t=11&akid=45278%2E4731121%2EHtZs9m
  3. “U.S. Olympians, John Carlos call on IOC to abolish anti-protest rule,” Yahoo! Sports, June 27, 2020,  https://act.colorofchange.org/go/267800?t=13&akid=45278%2E4731121%2EHtZs9m
  4. “Race Imboden kneels, Gwen Berry raises fist on Pan Am Games podium,” NBC Sports, August 10, 2019, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/267801?t=15&akid=45278%2E4731121%2EHtZs9m 
  5. “Beyond the Statement: Demand that Corporations back up their statements of support for Black people,” https://act.colorofchange.org/go/255699?t=17&akid=45278%2E4731121%2EHtZs9m

(Image: Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images)

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please help keep our movement strong.

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